Cafe owners Heidi and Jim Flynn on Friday, June 21, 2013, at The Local Flavor Cafe in Watervliet, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Cafe owners Heidi and Jim Flynn on Friday, June 21, 2013, at The Local Flavor Cafe in Watervliet, N.Y. (Cindy Schultz / Times Union)

Photo: Cindy Schultz

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"Be careful when you carry that strawberry cake," grinned Jim Flynn, co-owner of Local Flavor Cafe, as he handed me a series of bags. "It's a very special piece."

Maybe it was because he was worried our order took a little while (not that long) to make, or maybe it was because it was such a large order, or maybe my kids amused Flynn and his wife and partner, Heidi, as they ooohed and aaahed over samples of hummus and cheesecake, but it was a very special piece. It was roughly the size of a honeydew melon. And there were other surprises in our dinner bags, such as a sample of the Vietnamese roll Heidi was making for the next day's specials.

The Flynns "soft"-opened Local Flavor in late 2012 in a former franchise sub shop in Watervliet that closed after a fire, and they held their grand opening in February. Heidi had been selling packaged spreads, baked goods and toppings for five years under the name Worldling's Pleasure at farmers markets in Voorheesville and other towns. The cafe and store expands that mission, offering a retail venue for other local concocters of specialty foods who market their creations through mail order and green markets.

Whenever possible, the products they use in their made-on-premises foods are locally derived. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich ($4.50) is made with organic peanuts roasted and mixed with dark chocolate by The Peanut Principle in Latham, smeared on warm bread with raspberry jam from Beth's Farm Kitchen in Stuyvesant. Fair-trade coffee is roasted by Tierra Farm in Valatie. The meat in a ham-and-pineapple wrap ($5.95) comes from Tri-City Foods in Watervliet and is finished with local micro-greens and a sauce from Sugar & Spice in Altamont.

Jim managed to share this information and more while popping into the back to help his wife pack our food and serving a few other customers who came in with simpler orders. In an impressive display of multitasking, nothing we asked for was left behind.

Buying locally may not resonate equally with every customer, but geographical sensitivity is not the only virtue at Local Flavor. While we sampled an unusually large cross-section of food and rang up a nearly $70 tab, a hearty lunch or dinner can be had for under $10. A flaky, creamy block of spanakopita from Euro Delicacies, which operates a Mediterranean food stand at Empire State Plaza, was big enough to feed several people and cost $5.95. A hearty beef kebab sandwich with marinated grilled onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and Cooper Sharp American cheese (from Wisconsin) on a focaccia roll was $6.50. A wedge of pickle was crisp and tangy.

An onion-and-goat-cheese quiche special ($6.75) from Pika's Farm Table had an alluring allium flavor, but the custardy, floured filling made it taste like a prosaic scrambled-egg pie. A thinner quiche with more tangy cheese would have stood up better to the coarse, homey crust. The side of broccoli salad with bacon, beans, onions and pine nuts that came with it was dynamite, however.

The kids loved the pulled pork ($5.95), which sported a sweet sauce invented by local chef Tom Blau. The meat was a bit dry under the sauce, as if the time in the smoker had been a little rushed. The pineapple coleslaw served with it was crisp and fresh but underdressed.

There were no flaws, however, with the simple Italian wedding soup, which had just the right balance of seasoning, with savory meatballs and plenty of greens.

That massive great hunk of strawberry layer cake had a properly soaked genoise with a shortcake vibe and tangy fresh strawberries. The whipped-cream frosting was heavy on starchy confectioner's sugar, which was a common theme with the desserts ($2 to $3.75), especially the cream cheese frosting on the carrot cake and the Key lime buttercream on a cupcake. But aside from the super-sweetness, the textures were moist and rich, the presentations attractive and the portions generous at twice the price. The flourless chocolate cake was dense and dark, like fudge pudding.

Unusually for a deli, Local Flavor has a well-thought-out snack menu, with cheese samplers, bruschetta, stuffed mushrooms and jalapenos ($3.50 to $7.50).

Local Flavor also serves breakfast until 10:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on Saturdays, with menu offerings that include pan-fried oatmeal stuffed with fruit ($2.95); sugary Belgian liege waffles dipped in chocolate or smothered in fruit and cream ($3 to $4); baked French toast with apples and brown sugar ($2.50 a slice); and breakfast pizzas, burritos and sandwiches ($3.75 to $4.50), some with bacon from Henry's Market in Waterford.